- 1-800-248-1199
Homebound
|
As your special student's illness progress or as a result of treatments, the child's absenteeism may increase. As Educators, we must provide work for that child while he/she is in the hospital or homebound. No matter how the child is incapacitated, maintaining a link with the classroom is essential fo the ill child. Being able to return to school and be right on track at the time of return is critical. It is the hope of each homebound child to be well enough to attend school because, after all, normal kids are in school. Sick children simply want to be like everyone else. At this juncture, a discussion about hopsitals is very appropriate. You can allow the students in your classroom to share their own experiences with hospitals. Maybe a relative or the child him/her has had a hospital stay. Let the children describe what a hospital stay was like for them or someone they know. Touch on the fact that even after leaving the hospital, recuperation time at home may be necessary before someone can return to work or school. The use of a folder as a management tool can help organize worksheets, project requirements, etc. that the seriously ill child has missed while homebound. If you have a special folder for your absent student, kids can simply put a copy of all classroom assignments, etc., into the folder when they are passing out papers to the rest of the class. Through this simple step you'll know that everything that has been handed out to the class is also being saved for the ill child. You won't end up having to try to remember what the child missed, nor will you have the job of trying to locate the missed copies of worksheets. Everything will already be in the child's folder. Making get well cards or banners can be integrated into language arts and computer lessons. Software is readily available to make cards and banners and my be a part of your school's collection. As a caring person, you want to send cards often, especially if the child is gone for an extended period of time. As an educator, however, it's hard to take a lot of time away from curricular objectives to do this. Incorporating this experience into existing curricular areas can assuage both the caring person and the educator within yourself. Making cards could also be an option if the students have finished the work assigned. The cards could then be placed in the child's special folder for future delivery. A classroom video is a wonderful way to maintain commmunication with the homebound child as well as introduce this technology to the classroom. As children in the classroom are giving speeches, reading stories, presenting projects or plays, or just talking during your daily share time, it's easy to videotape these moments to share with the homebound student. Each child could express a special message to the sick child through the use of a video camera and have educational fun at the same time. This can be done without disgressing from the curriculum. Perhaps the sick child could reciprocate with video or audio of his/her hospital stay. There are many educational options for the child who is unable to attend school. The hospital may provide teachers to help with work while the child is in the hospital. A tutor may be provided at home. In either case, you would then need to be in contact with these people to coordinate areas of study. Many school corporations offer the classroom teacher the option of working with the special needs child after school at the child's home. This could be an important opportunity for you as an educator to make a real difference. What you learn from a child who is battling a life-threatening illness may be quite profound. Whatever the situation, it is important to help the homebound child continue learning and to provide as normal an education experience as the child's condition will allow. But, what about the child's wishes, and the wishes of his/her parents? [Keywords: empty desk] |
|
|
Copyright © 2000-2008 Web Design: NetMediaOne |
